for older adults

October 2020 Vol. 16 No. 10 Meals on Wheels-Older Adult Alternatives of Fairfield County, Inc., 1515 Cedar Hill Road, Lancaster, OH 43130

Phone: 740-681-5050 Fax: 740-681-5046 Website: mowfc.org

You may have gotten an application

to request an absentee ballot. If

you haven’t received an application,

call

Liberty Center 740-652-7000 and

let them know of your needs. You

should request the application as

soon as possible. The deadline to

ask for a mail-in ballot is 12:00

p.m., October 31,2020

When your ballot arrives, read it

carefully and follow the

instructions. Complete all of the

information and your choices for

office then return the ballot

through the mail.

If you wish to vote in person but

are not sure where to go, Liberty

Center will be able to tell you what

station you’ll need to attend. The

person on the other line will also be

able to tell you when and where

you can vote early

if that is your

desire.

Fire Prevention Week October 4-10

Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!

The National Fire Protection Association’s official theme for 2020 is “Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. Almost half (44%) of reported home fires started in the kitchen.

Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. “We know cooking fires can be prevented,” said Lorrain Carli, NFPA’s vice president of outreach and advocacy. “Staying in the kitchen, using a timer, and avoiding distractions such as electronics or TV are steps everyone can take to keep families safe in their homes.”

Meals on Wheels – Fairfield County encourages seniors to embrace the 2020 Fire Prevention Week theme and wants to share some safety tips to keep you from having a cooking fire.

Never leave cooking food unattended. Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling or broiling. If you have to leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.

If you are simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that you’re cooking.

You have to be alert when cooking. You won’t be alert if you are sleepy, have taken medicine or drugs, or consumed alcohol that make you drowsy.

Always keep an oven mitt and pan lid nearby when you’re cooking. If a small grease fire starts, slide the lid over the pan to smother the flame. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool.

Have a “grandkid-free zone” of at least 3 feet around the stove and areas where hot food is prepared or carried.

Following these practical tips can help to keep you safe in the

kitchen and prevent fires.

2020 BOARD OF TRUSTEES

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President. – Howard Sniderman - Retired Healthcare Administrator

Vice President – Corey Clark – Chief Deputy Director at Job & Family Services

Secretary – Scott Mueller – Vice President, Owner Fairfield Heating & Cooling

Treasurer – Karen Sanner - Retired, Bloom Carroll Local Schools

Past President – Luann Snyder - Attorney, Investment & Trusts, Fairfield National Bank

Debra Bates — Culinary Arts Instructor-Lancaster High School

Dale Dixon – Principal, Wichert Insurance

Margie Donnell – Operations & Event Manager-Lancaster-Fairfield Chamber of Commerce

Helen Harding – Chief Nursing Officer at Fairfield Medical Center

Ben Hill – CPA with McLain, Hill, Rugg, and Associates

Christa Moody – Event Coordinator/Bookkeeping; Fairfield Federal Savings & Loan

Donna Fox-Moore – Executive Director Family, Adult & Children First Council

Jennifer Sitterley— Sitterley Law Offices

Jeff Wagner – Estimator, Kumler Collision

Lara Wright – LSW, Case manager, Fairfield Medical Center

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MOW-OAAFC KEY STAFF

Executive Director – Anna Tobin Director of Operations – Cindy Wells

Director of Administrative Services – Sarah Arledge Director of Aging Services – Linda McDonald

Nutrition Services Manager – Amber Goines Kitchen Production Coordinator – Tina Dickey

Assistant Kitchen Coordinator /Cook – Melissa Holbrook Fiscal Manager – Amber Locke

Aging Services Manager – Amber Throckmorton Lifeline Coordinator – Brian Roby

Administrative Assistant - Julianna Kincaid In-Home Services Manager - Kayla Hazlett

Route/Volunteer Coordinator — Rebecca Pessel Outreach Coordinator – Chris Sulick

Nutrition Office Support – Teresa Vannatter Activities Coordinator— Gina Holbrook

Care Coordinators – Kathy Robbins, Joe Rogers & Joyce McGinnis

Table of Contents Page 1 - Election/Absentee Ballot, Fire Safety in the Kitchen Page 2 - Board of Executive Committee, Board of Trustees, Key Employees, Table of Contents Page 3 - Services During Uncertain Times, Emergency Response Systems Page 4 - HEAP, Fire Safety for Older Adults Page 5 - International Day of Older Persons, Fun Activities Article Page 6 - Menu Page 7 - Menu Page 8 - Lazy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Appreciation Petal Picture Page 9 - Sudoku Puzzles & Designs to Color Page10 - Word Search Puzzle Page11 - Spot-The-Difference Puzzle Page 12 - Medicare D, October Commodity Pick-up, Payment information, Meals on Wheels facts

Services to Help Seniors During A Time of Uncertainty

During this time of social distancing, the past months have been challenging, but Meals on Wheels has

continued to provide meals and services for seniors in Fairfield County. If you or a loved one are feeling

overwhelmed, call the Aging Services Office at 740-681-5050.

We know this is a stressful time and we’re here to help.

Meals on Wheels Tele-A-Friend program has kept us in contact with over 40 seniors on a

weekly basis. The Aging Services Office enjoys checking in on the seniors as much as the

seniors look forward to the calls and some friendly conversation. If you would like to have

your name added to the Tele-A-Friend list, call the Aging Services Office at 740-681-5050.

We’re here for you and will stay connected to you for as long as you need us.

Emergency Food Delivery Program – Meals on Wheels continues to provide a meal pack

program to ensure older adults 60+ have access to food. The service

provides meals in two-week intervals for as long as the county is under a state of

emergency. A package of 14 frozen meals are delivered to your home. You must be

home to receive the meals. To be part of the Emergency Food Delivery Program, call

Meals on Wheels Aging Services Office at 740-681-5050.

Emergency Grocery Service Program – The Emergency Grocery Service is provided

on a monthly basis. The groceries contain basic food items, dairy

items, and dry goods. After the order has been received by Meals

on Wheels, the senior receives the groceries delivered to their home within two to three

days. Items that do not address the nutritional and/or health and safety needs of the

client will not be ordered. If you would like to participate in this program, please call

Meals on Wheels – Aging Services Office at

740-681-5050.

Emergency Utility and Rent Assistance/Mortgage Payment – If you are in danger of

disconnect or eviction, please call the agency and ask about this program. We have a one time

grant available to help until funding runs out.

Be Prepared for A Fall or Medical Emergency Personal Emergency Response Systems at Meals on Wheels

A sudden fall or medical emergency could threaten an older adult’s health and independence, so it’s important to be prepared and have a plan. Meals on Wheels – Fairfield County offers an in-home unit for those that are homebound, and a mobile unit for those that are on the go! The Belle Mobile medical alert system through Connect America, uses a cellular connection providing flexibility to go anywhere and receive help when needed. The Belle features: 24/7 emergency monitoring service; an anywhere Help button; a charger cradle; no cell or landline phone required; the battery lasts up to 30 days per charge and has low battery and power off alerts; it also has two way voice communication. The in-home unit offers a lanyard style button, or a wrist style button. Units are waterproof. Call Brian Roby, PERS Coordinator at 740-681-5050 for additional information or to schedule an assessment for services.

HEAP Winter Crisis Program Applications Available at Meals on Wheels

The Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program (HEAP) helps income

eligible Ohioans that are threatened with disconnection, have been

disconnected or have less than a 25% supply of bulk fuel in their tank.

The program runs from November 1, 2020, until May 1, 2021. A

household applying for HEAP must report total gross household income

for the past 30 days (12 months preferred) for all members, except wage

or salary income earned by dependent minors under 18 years old. Both

homeowners and renters are eligible for assistance. To apply online, visit

energy help.ohio.gov. Applications are available at Meals on Wheels –

Fairfield County at the main entrance, inside the first set of double doors. Along with the

total gross household income, the following documents must accompany the application:

copies of your most recent utility bills; a list of all household members (include birth dates

and Social Security numbers) and proof of citizenship or legal residency for all household

members. Assistance with completing the HEAP application is available by appointment

only. Call Meals on Wheels at 740-681-5050.

Fire Safety Tips for Older Adults

Decreased mobility, sight, hearing or cognitive capabilities may limit an older adult’s ability to take the

quick action necessary to escape during a fire emergency.

Alzheimer’s or Dementia – many times a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia has an innate

understanding that something is wrong during an emergency, and may be more clear-headed than a

person would imagine.

Remain calm during an emergency. Explain what is happening clearly and simply, but don’t expect

them to remember specific details. Call 9-1-1.

Consider having the person sleep in a room that has easy access to the outdoors in case the home

needs to be evacuated. A ground floor bedroom is best.

Notify the fire department ahead of time, to the special needs of your loved one, so they can keep

the information on file.

Home Heating Safety – Colder weather increases the likelihood of heating related fires.

Never use an oven or stove for heating your home.

Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, space

heater, fireplace or wood stove.

Place space heaters on level, flat surfaces, but never place on cabinets, tables or other furniture.

Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.

Mobility Impairments – If you or your elderly loved one uses a cane, walker or wheelchair, or is in a

cast due to an injury, traditional escape routes may no longer work.

Check all exits to make sure wheelchairs or walkers can get through the doorways.

Keep a phone by the bed for emergency calls in case the person becomes trapped and is unable to

escape.

People in a wheelchair may want to have a small “personal use” fire extinguisher mounted in an

accessible place on the wheelchair, and become familiar with its use.

(Paid Advertisement)

International Day of Older

Persons

The year 2020 marks the 75th Anniversary of

the United Nations and the 30th Anniversary

of the International Day of Older Persons. This year has also seen

an emergence of COVID-19, that has caused an upheaval across

the world. Considering the higher risks confronted by older

persons during the outbreak of pandemics such as COVID-19,

policy and programmatic interventions must be targeted towards

raising awareness of their special needs. Recognizing older

persons contributions to their own health and the multiple roles

they play in the preparedness and response phases of current and

future pandemics is also important.

This excerpt taken from the United Nations website (un.org)

FUN STUFF

Did you know that you are eligible to participate in some of our activities? As long as

you receive a service from Meals on Wheels, you can be a

part of any activity that we offer.

We currently play Bingo over the phone; yes, over the phone. We send the materials with

your driver that are needed to play, or deliver the items ourselves if you aren’t a meal

client. All you have to do is call in during a certain date and time to participate.

If you aren’t sure that you would like the activity, we encourage you to call Gina, our Activities Coordinator, and get

the call-in information to give it a try. Once you have the unique call-in info, you can dial during one of our games and

listen in. You don’t have to participate if you aren’t comfortable; you can simply listen to others play. I guarantee you

will hear a ton of laughs.

We continue to send puzzle packets to many of our clients. These packets contain puzzles that you like. The games

can be anything from word or picture finds, crosswords, Sudoku puzzles, mazes, or even riddles and recipes. We

would love to put a packet together for you.

We also send craft materials to your home. Last month, we were able to provide the items to make a beautiful hand

painted magnet. *See the pictures below. We sent home everything required to

create these adorable decorations.

Gina writes easy step-by-step directions for each craft that will be sent

your way. We still have materials left to make these adorable magnets, so

if you’re interested, please, call Gina @ 740-681-5050.

1. Preheat the oven to 350° and grease a pan

(whatever size you want)

2. Melt the butter then mix it with eggs until

combined.

3. Add in the cake mix and mix again.

4. Add the chocolate chips (the whole bag)

and mix all the ingredients together.

5. Press the cookie dough into a baking dish prepared with non-

stick spray.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, if you choose smaller pans bake for 25—28

minutes.

7. Let them cool for a moment then cut them into squares. The

longer they cool, the better they will hold their shape.

8. Serve with a cold cup of milk or scoop of ice cream.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)

2 eggs

1 yellow cake mix

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies (12 oz. bag)

Thank you to everyone that participated in

creating an Appreciation Petal.

The petals were glued together onto corollas

(flower centers) to form beautiful blooms. Our

little garden that you helped cultivate was

hung where most of the employees and every

volunteer can read what you’d written and

admire the splendor.

A S N T M F R I G H T E N E D H E S

L E I O G O M N T R A E B Y D D E T

H D V T I A A E I N S P E E R C E I

F I L I E T E N K G H O U L U K G L

E H P R O T A L I F H F A R N S N L

F T C E P R E N T N H T I A C E I U

S S C R E E C H I T G T L A O G M S

S R A Y S C O T D G Y B R I H M O I

S H A D O W S E P E A Y L T G L O O

S G I E T S W R E I K M S W R H L N

N N S V E W A R E A T O I H A I T R

A I I S E B L O B H U H O E A R P R

R W I C R R C R T T H R G P E K C E

L O M R R O P I N S R T E I S R R T

N L U Y N E R Z B O O K S D N A E S

R G N I H T A E R B Y V A E H D M N

Y S G N A F H K B E D B E G I N I O

T O B G R E S E I R O T S A T H E M

ANKLE FRIGHTENED MIDNIGHT SHADOW

BLANKET GHOUL MOANING SHARP CLAWS

BLOB GLOWING MONSTER SHARP TEETH

BOOKS HEAVY BREATHING MOVIE SHIVER

CRAWL HIDE NIGHT LIGHT SNARL

CREAK HORROR NOISES SPOOKED

CREEP ILLUSION SCARY STORIES

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____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ , ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____,

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____.

Celebrating 47 years of Service to Fairfield County Seniors

Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees—October 22, 2020 This newsletter is written by various staff members and edited by Julianna Kincaid

MEALS ON WHEELS ACCEPTS CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO MAKE A PAYMENT, PLEASE CALL 740-681-5050

SARAH ARLEDGE—ext. #105 for Meal Donations / Homemaking / Personal Care/Respite / Adult Daycare

BRIAN ROBY—ext. #118 for Lifeline

PAYMENTS CAN BE MADE RECURRING UPON REQUEST

October Commodity Box Pick-Up

Last name beginning with A-J Wed., Oct 21 1-3:00pm

Last name beginning with K-Z Thurs., Oct 22 1-3:00pm

No drop-ins. Arrangements must be made prior to pick up of commodity box. No exceptions. You must complete an application and meet income guidelines to be eligible to receive a Commodity Box.

Applications are available at: Meals on Wheels • Aging Services Office 1515 Cedar Hill Road • Lancaster

Medicare D Open Enrollment – November 1 - December 15, 2020

The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) and Meals on Wheels

have partnered to provide Medicare counseling for seniors 60 years of age and older.

Local OSHIIP volunteer counselors can assist you with

Medicare questions on a limited basis and by

appointment only. Call 740-681-5050.

OSHIIP has a free hotline 1-800-686-1578 that’s

available for calls from 7:30am to 5:00 pm Monday

through Friday for help with Medicare questions. Helpful

information can also be found on OSHIIP’s website:

www.insurance.ohio.gov.

Those waiting until after the deadline of December 15,

2020, will not be able to get 2021 coverage unless they qualify for a Special Enrollment